Attending the British Infection Association (BIA) conference in Newcastle was a milestone for me – it was my first ever medical conference and my first time presenting a poster. I had submitted an abstract from my elective project on urine dipstick use and antibiotic prescribing and it was accepted.
The conference brought together infectious disease professionals from across the UK, it was exciting to hear about the latest research in the field. Highlights included updates to malaria guidelines, fascinating case reports (including one involving cowpox – not something you hear about every day) and discussions around global health research in the current political climate. It really gave me a broader perspective on the challenges and innovations shaping infectious disease care.
Presenting my poster was daunting at first. I wasn’t sure of the etiquette – should I wait for people to come to me or try to start conversations? In the end, I erred on the side of caution and didn’t engage with as many people as I’d hoped. That was a learning point. Conferences are a great opportunity for networking, and next time I’ll be more confident in starting conversations. Still, it was a valuable experience just being there, explaining my project when I did get the chance, and seeing how other presenters communicated their work.
Overall, attending the BIA conference was a rewarding experience. It gave me a glimpse into the wider world of infectious disease research and showed me the value of sharing and learning from each other’s work. I’d definitely encourage other students to submit their projects to conferences – you never know where it might lead.
